Entrepreneurship Summit 2022 – Keynote speech by Günes Seyfarth

Summary

In her very personal and powerful keynote speech, Günes Seyfarth talks about having the courage to set big goals, taking responsibility and deciding to be part of the solution – instead of remaining part of the problem. The starting point for her entrepreneurial journey was real social injustices that she was unwilling to accept: a lack of nursery places, waste of resources, food waste and a lack of appreciation for the environment and people.

Without any educational background, she initially founded a nursery out of her own necessity, which gradually developed into a larger childcare facility. This was followed by other initiatives such as mamikreisel, a platform for the sustainable exchange of children's clothing, which first made her aware of the enormous extent of our abundance.

Her keynote speech focuses on her current work in food rescue, community kitchens and environmental education. Günes Seyfarth makes it clear that food waste is one of the most effective levers in climate protection and that we do not live in scarcity, but in massive abundance. With her community kitchen model, she combines food rescue, education, encounter and social participation – deliberately without hierarchies of need.

In addition to the entrepreneurial aspects, the keynote speech is above all an appeal to our inner attitude: fear is not a stop signal, but an indication of a lack of information. Big goals help to put problems into perspective. Seyfarth encourages us to take responsibility for our own lives, not to be limited by social expectations and to use our own vitality as a compass. Her message: We are born winners – and it is our job to actively shape this world.

Key insights for founders

1. Start from a real problem:
Sustainable business models arise where personal concern meets social added value.

2. Abundance is often the real problem:
Many business models of the future do not rely on scarcity, but on better use of existing resources.

3. Fear is a signal, not an obstacle:
The question is not whether fear exists, but whether you act despite it.

4. Big goals put small problems into perspective:
Those who think big are less likely to be slowed down by operational setbacks.

5. Entrepreneurship is an attitude, not a title:
Impact comes from action, responsibility and consistency – not from perfect CVs or formal qualifications.

About the speaker

Günes Seyfarth is a social entrepreneur, speaker and thought leader for sustainable business, community building and food rescue. With a background as a dance teacher and business economist, she combines entrepreneurial thinking with social responsibility and a strong focus on education and participation.

She is the founder of several initiatives, including childcare facilities, the sustainable platform mamikreisel, and innovative community kitchen concepts that combine food rescue, environmental education and social interaction. She has received numerous awards for her commitment, including the Gastro Founder's Award, the ‘Too Good for the Bin’ Award and the Goldene Bild der Frau Award.

Günes Seyfarth stands for an optimistic, courageous and action-oriented approach: business as a space for creativity, entrepreneurship as a tool for social change and education as the key to a future worth living.